MunroMagic.com is built upon a database of all 282 Munros, 222 Corbetts and 222 Grahams. The data fields are described below.

Mountain Name

This is the name as it appears on the Ordnance Survey Landranger Map. A mountain may have several tops and therefore several Munros. N.B. Some Munro names are not shown on the OS maps, and two or more mountains may share the same name.

Top Name

This is the name given to the Munro and can differ from Mountain Name. N.B. Some mountains have more than one top qualifying as a Munro.

Meaning

Mountain names are usually in Gaelic, the native language of the Scottish Highlands, or have been derived from the old Scots and Norse languages. We give the most commonly accepted meaning, but accept that some of these are disputed.

Altitude

This is the height of the mountain above sea level. However, on the climb, it is the ascent that matters, i.e. the sum of all the uphill parts of the route.

Ascent

The effort in climbing a mountain is not always apparent from its altitude, e.g. the ascent of Ben Lawers starts from 450 metres but takes you over the top of Beinn Ghlas. The figure given here is an estimate of the sum of all the elements of ascent in a route and may be greater than the altitude of the mountain. N.B. this is difficult to estimate for irregular the terrain.

Route Distance

The estimated distance for the complete route i.e. to the tops and back.

Route Time

This is calculated from "Route Distance" and "Ascent" using Naismith's formula. This assumes a normal fit person will average 5 kilometers (3 miles) per hour over mixed terrain. In addition, 10 min is added for every 100 metres of ascent. We have not made a deduction for descent as the nature of the terrain, will influence the descent time e.g. grass becomes slippy when wet.

Registered users can customise the route times by supplying their own values for Walking Speed, Ascent Speed and resting time.

Grid Reference

This is the standard notation used on Ordnance Survey Landranger maps. Each reference consists of two letters identifying a 100,000 metre square block e.g. NN plus three digits defining the location to the East e.g. 166 followed by a three digits defining the location to the North with reference to the South West corner of the block. E.g. 712 = NN166712 is the grid reference for the summit of Ben Nevis. Where you are given the map number ( For Ben Nevis = 41) it is acceptable to omit the two initial letters e.g. 166712. (Instructions on how to read the references are given on the OS maps).

Travel Information

Directions from a small town or village, where you can find both B&B and hotel accommodation, to the start of the climb. There are some exceptions, e.g. Kings House Hotel, which also has a bunkhouse and informal camping. If you are travelling directly to the start of the route, this information will not apply.

Route Information

Usually the shortest way to climb the mountain, making best use of tracks and paths to gain altitude. Route navigation requires map reading skills and an ability to navigate with a compass. The information given here will enable you to annotate your map and plan your route. We do not give anecdotal descriptions on where to find the paths, worn by the feet of previous mountaineers. Where the access routes are few or the ridge is narrow, paths are generally obvious. On open ground, following paths without using your compass may get you lost in poor visibility.

The units of measurement used here are metric and are consistent with those of the OS Landranger maps.

Additional Notes

We have given a guide to the difficulty of the route with the terms easy (easy day for a fit person), moderate (a longer day for a fit person, which may be strenuous but offers no serious difficulties) and difficult (requiring scrambling skills and a head for exposure). For difficult routes we have indicated the nature of the difficulties to be encountered.

Available Routes

This list shows summary information for the routes currently available through MunroMagic.com. This list will change as routes are added to the site. You may click a route to view the full details.

Mountain Description

A description of the characteristics of the mountain including any hazards of which you should be aware.

Compass Bearings

All bearings given are map bearings and must be corrected for magnetic north whenever an accurate compass bearing is required.